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DEADLINE: What is your relationship to San Gabriel Valley?
SAM SONG LI:I was born in Shenzhen, China, and moved to Arcadia very early on.
So, my first experience in the United States was actually in San Gabriel in the 626.
Sam Song Li
And Ive kept my phone number my whole life since I was a kid.
I know why my mom moved here because this town is basically Chinatown 2.0 in Los Angeles.
Its probably bigger than the Chinatown in Los Angeles.
The Brothers Sun. (L to R) Ben Wang as Sleepy Chan, Sam Song Li as Bruce SunNetflix
This is the real deal.
I feel so blessed to see my childhood portrayed on screen like this.
DEADLINE: Bruces Mandarin is a little dicey in the show, but how is your own?
LI:I grew up in China.
I grew up in Shenzhen, in Hong Kong.
Not many people know this, but Mandarin was my first language.
I did not know English before Mandarin, so I grew up speaking Mandarin.
Then, I moved to America, went to elementary school in San Gabriel, and learned English.
And I would definitely say my native language now is obviously English.
I read that your mom is an aerospace engineer, and youre an actor.
Im curious as to where your desire to act came from.
You know, Like a Boss and Im on a Boat.
I dont know why.
I have no idea you’ve got the option to do this.
So, I started making my own parody videos and comedy sketches.
And I was really drawn to humor online, humor via digital media.
And I know that sounds dramatic, but let me explain.
One of the most impactful movies I watched growing up was a movie calledBoyhoodby Richard Linklater.
This was not a normal thing to experience for most people.
Theres something so raw about it.
LI:This means the world to me, and how lucky am I?
I really resonate with that message.
And I also hope that more young Asian Americans also resonate with it.
Theres never been a better time.
Weve never seen shows like this growing up onstreamingplatforms on TV.
And so its one of a kind, and Im just very lucky to be a part of it.
DEADLINE: How did you prepare to play Bruce?
What was the most challenging aspect of that?
LI:So much of Bruce was myself in so many ways.
For example, Ive always thought that Bruce is the most sheltered mamas boy in the world.
But I would say the most challenging thing about Bruce is that he is going through it.
And I think some of the more sassy comedy wasnt too hard for me.
And that, to me, as an actor, is always challenging.
Ill give you an example.
And so that was something that I struggled with.
It was very draining and exhausting.
How did you come to see Bruce and his decision to be so strait-laced?
LI:I do.
And in the end, he has this moment where he figures it out.
And there are moments where I feel like Bruce can do some stuff.
But he does have that sort of moment.
And I think Bruces story is still one in the making.
I think theres still a lot left, and Bruce will play a vital part of that story.
DEADLINE: Lets talk a little bit about the cast.
Youve got Jenny Yang, Justin Chien, Joon Lee and Michelle Yeoh.
How did you all lean on each other?
Who kept you on your toes or made you break character often?
She was also the one that made us break character the most because shes so silly.
And there were a few moments that I had with Michelle that I couldnt hold it in.
DEADLINE: Now that the show is out, how did your mom process this step in your career?
Does she still want you to be a doctor or engineer?
Ill just say this.
She would have no problem with it.
Shed be more than excited.
Shes the proudest parent on the planet.
She loves sharingBrothers Sunnews.
She loves sharing everything thats happening with our success with me, my life right now.
And anytime I see her talk aboutBrothers Sunor mention anything, I just see her face light up.
I mean, this is a dream come true for her.
And I think a lot of her friends growing up told her shed make for a wonderful actress.
I feel like there isnt anything quite like it on TV that youve seen before.
Im quoting Byron [Wu, showrunner], but the show is uniquely itself.
Just thinking of the parallels between yourself and the character you play on the show.
LI:I think filmmaking was the gateway for me; it was the entry point.
So, doing social media was out of necessity for me to toy with the idea of being on-screen.
And weve had massive success with Asian Americans on screen in social media than in traditional media.
Its always been ahead.
And I think thats how I saw acting for a very long time.
I was working on it in secret.
I think I see myself doing so much more in acting and narrative storytelling.
Theres so many stories I personally want to share.
You get instantaneous feedback.
One week on social media is like one year for the rest of the world.
Things move so quickly.
The Brothers Sunis out now on Netflix.
